LOS ANGELES (AP) -- For one night, at least, the Los Angeles Kings improved dramatically in two areas that have given them problems -- power plays and four-on-four situations.

Ziggy Palffy had two goals and Luc Robitaille scored twice with the man advantage Tuesday night as the Kings ended a three-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.

	Los Angeles' Ziggy Palffy plays the star after scoring on Buffalo goaltender Dwayne Roloson, bottom.

Both of Palffy's goals came with the teams skating a man short, after the Kings had managed only one four-on-four goal during their first 43 games.

"We can't just sit back and play defense when it's four on four," Palffy said. "If you want to win the game, you have to go for it. The difference tonight is that we were skating well. You have to move the puck quicker when it's four on four and you have to keep moving your feet."

On his first goal, Palffy beat Biron between the pads at 4:26 of the first period on a breakaway to open the scoring. Bryan Smolinski sent a long lead pass into the neutral zone that found Palffy a couple of strides ahead of Sanderson and Jason Woolley.

The goal came about two minutes after Kings goalie Jamie Storr came out to challenge rookie Maxim Afinogenov on a breakaway and stop him for one of his 23 saves.

"It's a gambling play, but it gives the shooter fewer options," said Storr, playing his first game at Staples Center since Dec. 8 because of symptoms of post-concussion syndrome. "I don't want to do it on every play, but I felt that I had to try and make him make a move earlier.

"Those players are so talented that they can undress you when they come in -- and I'm not at the point right now where I feel like getting undressed on a breakaway."

Palffy capped Los Angeles' three-goal second period with his second of the night, increasing the margin to 5-2 with four minutes left in the period. He beat Dwayne Roloson high to the glove side from close range after getting the puck in the slot from Rob Blake.

It was the 16th goal for Palffy, who has been hampered by a strained lower back since early December.

"It's really tough for me, playing like that," said the seven-year veteran, who missed only three of 331 games because of injury with the New York Islanders before being traded to the Kings in June. "You think about it all the time because every movement is painful for me. I've never played like that before."

Brad Chartrand also scored for the Kings, who chased goalie Martin Biron to the bench with three goals on 14 shots. The rookie had shutouts in two of his previous three outings, including a scoreless tie.

Michal Grosek, Geoff Sanderson and Afinogenov scored for the Sabres, who fell four games under .500 after reaching the Stanley Cup finals last season.

Robitaille's first goal gave the Kings a 2-0 lead three minutes before the first intermission, while Brian Holzinger was serving an interference penalty. Garry Galley's centering pass from the left circle bounced off Smolinski's stick and Robitaille batted the fluttering puck past Biron with a backhanded swing.

"We wanted to get off to a good start because we knew they played last night," Robitaille said. "It's always tough to play us when we get off to a fast start because we've got great defensemen."

Robitaille, the highest-scoring left wing in NHL history, reached the 20-goal mark for the 13th time in 14 seasons midway through the second while former Kings defenseman Alexei Zhitnik was off for tripping Ian Laperriere.

Blake and Galley each broke their sticks seconds apart on slap shots from inside the blue line during the power play, but the puck slid into the slot and Palffy shoveled the puck to Robitaille for his 536th career goal.

"They break two sticks on a power play, and somehow we end up giving them wide-open shots when they should have nothing," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "It's frustrating."

Chartrand gave the Kings a 3-0 cushion just 31 seconds into the second period with his fifth goal, beating Biron from less than 10 feet in front after Marko Tuomainen's centering pass hit Sabres defenseman Rhett Warrener.

At that point, Ruff replaced Biron with Roloson in an effort to shake up his team. The Sabres responded just 34 seconds later with their first goal, as Blake failed to control a bouncing puck and Grosek beat Storr from a sharp angle.

The Kings won for only the third time in 14 games (3-10-1).